by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES â?? Some people will do something even though they aren't thrilled about doing it, and will do it well, just to prove a point. Not to themselves, necessarily, but to those who doubt it can be done.

Exhibit A: Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is the type of person who will accumulate assists even though it's not his forte, and he will do it well, just to prove a point. That he can, or, more pointedly, wants to pass the ball.

So for just the second time in his career, Bryant has delivered at least 11 assists in three consecutive games, according to basketball-reference.com, with results that so far favor the Lakers.

Maybe it's proving a point to Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. Or to his teammates, specifically center Dwight Howard. Maybe even to reporters, who for years have watched Bryant rack up points in a most ruthless manner.

Whatever the reason, the result of Bryant sacrificing his offense has been a three-game winning streak when so desperately needed.

For the third consecutive game, Bryant recorded double-digits in assists as the Lakers beatthe New Orleans Hornets 111-106 on Tuesday.

Bryant has totaled 39 assists in victories against the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Hornets since Friday -- vs. 34 combined shots taken. That is a first for Bryant, according to basketball-reference.com, three consecutive games with at least 11 assists and 12 shots or less taken in each game.

With the Lakers struggling for most of January, Howard sour about his touches and D'Antoni pressing for more ball movement, Bryant decided to become a playmaker, another point guard on the court.

"When I focus on something, I become obsessed with it," Bryant said.

Even D'Antoni admitted he was surprised Bryant could have such an impact as a distributor.

Bryant has taken just 34 shots in the past three games. It was only Jan. 20 when he launched 32 shots against the Toronto Raptors.

In a three-game stretch to start the new year â?? all losses, by the way â?? Bryant took a total of 80 shots.

Bryant the scorer has deferred to Bryant the passer. And it has worked as the Lakers tiptoe closer to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are 20-25, four games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth seed and three games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for ninth place.

Bryant reminded after the game that his idol growing up was Magic Johnson, the legendary Lakers' point guard: "I just didn't grow to 6-9. When I wasn't going be 6-9, that was the end of that."

Bryant is third in the league in scoring, at 28.4 points per game, almost 3 points a game higher than his career average. But maybe Los Angeles is a better team when Bryant shoots less and passes more, a concept he no doubt understands but a concept that is counter to his natural instinct to score.

He can try to sell the Magic Johnson story and convince people he is fine with being more of a passer and less of a scorer. But is he fine with it? Does Bryant love to pass the ball? Really love to pass, the way teammate Steve Nash loves to pass or the way Johnson did? Does Bryant value his assists as much as he values one of his turnaround, fadeaway baseline jumpers?

Does he have as much fun passing as scoring?

"Yeah, because you're seeing everybody else gain confidence and play well off of you," Bryant said. "First and foremost, that's what I enjoy. Secondly, because most of you guys thought I couldn't do it.

"I can do it."

D'Antoni likes Bryant the passer, too.

"He's playing great," D'Antoni said. "That's what we needed."

Before the game, D'Antoni said basketball was a simple game. Nothing complicated about it, at all.